Chaeles buscall



(No Model.)

G.BUSGALL. SCHOOL- DESK;-

' No. 251,829. Patented Jan. 3.18 82.

N. PETERS Fllclwlillmgmpher. Waihinglun. no

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES BUSOALL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y

SCHOOL-DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,829, dated January 3, 1882.

I Application filed November 26, 1881. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES BUSOALL, of the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in School-Desks and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form a partof this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a school-desk of simple and inexpensive construction, which can be used either as a writingdesk or a reading-desk or book-rest, and can he changed from one to the other by a slight adjustmeut, which can be made in a moment and without any inconvenience.

The invention consists in a school-desk having atop pivotedat each side to an arm of the frame, and provided with a slat on one edge, which serves as a stop to hold the said top in position when used as a writing-desk and as a rest for the book when used as a readingdesk, and with a pair of arms pivoted one on each side thereof to support the said top when used as a reading-desk, all of which is hereinafter particularly set forth and described. In the accompanyingdrawings, Figurel represents a perspective view of the desk, and Fig. 2 an end elevation of the same.

Similarletters of reference indicate the same parts in both the figures. i A is the frame, which may be of wood or of metal, and of suitable form and dimensions.

B is the top or lid, which consists of a rectangular piece of board (rounded at the corners, if desired) of suitable dimensions, and

- which is pivoted at each side to an arm, d, of

the frame. so that it can be swung over, so as to bring either surface uppermost. Along one edge of this top B is secured aslator strip, h, which projects slightly beyond the edge of the top and forms'a stop which comes in contact with the lower side of a ledge or slat, i, running across the top of the frame, and thus holds the top B in posit-ion when the same is used as a writing-desk, as shown by the full lines in the figures, and also serves for a rest for a book when the top B is reversed, and is used for a reading-desk or easel, as shown by the dotted lines.

-m m are two arms or supports, which are pivoted at one end to the sides of the top B, near that edge of the same which is uppermost when the desk is used as a reading-desk, and are held in the position shown at p when the desk is used as a writing-desk; but when it is used as a reading-desk or book-rest they are let down, so that their lower ends rest upon the ledge or slat i, and thus support the top in position for that purpose.

I It will be noticed that the top B is pivoted nearer to that edge on which the slat h is secured than to the opposite edge, the object of which arrangement is twofold-namely, to throw the center of gravity near the upper edge when the desk is used as a reading-desk, and thus prevent any liability of the Weight of the book tipping the lid, and also to hold the bookat aTproper distance from the eyes.

Any suitable means may be employed for holding the pivoted arms or supports an m in contact with the sides of the top B when the latter is used for writing or similar purposesas, for instance, they may be made to spring slightly, so as to be held by friction; or, if desired, a suitable catch may be employed to hold them in the position shown atp; or they may be pivoted to the ledge t, as shown at r.

I am aware that school-desks have heretofore been made and used in which the top is reversible, and can be used either as a writing-desk or as a book-rest; but heretofore they have been pivoted at the corners, requiring for that purpose expensive hinges; and these I do not claim nor use, one object of my invention being to dispense with their useand make the desk both cheaper and less liable to get out of order; and another advantage of my improvement is, that a large plain surface is provided for writing, and when the top is reversed it is brought to a convenient distancefrom the body of the occupant.

What I claim as my invention is- A school-desk having a top, B, pivoted at each side to an arm, d, of the frame, the said top being provided witha slat, h, secured along one of-its edges, and with a pair of arms, at, pivoted to its sides, as herein shown and described, and for the purposes specified.

Gno. R. JAQUES, J OHN S. THORNTON. 

